


Be Careful What You Wish For

by Toocool2btrue



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adventure, Canon Divergence, Canon verse, Confessions, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Jealousy, Little bit of angst, Mutual Pining, New Friends, Plance secert santa, Pre Relationship, Rainforest, Realizations, Stranded, almost forced marriage, both of them are very protective of eachother, fake engagement, flirty robot, funny moments, lance's wish almost gets fulfilled, pance, pidgance, plance, sort of harmless kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-24 23:47:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22006444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toocool2btrue/pseuds/Toocool2btrue
Summary: The Queen audibly gasped at the sight of the two foreigners, her bright green eyes blinked in disbelief. Even her advisors and maid of honor started excitedly murmuring amongst each other.Lance worriedly glanced at Katie, whose eyes uncomfortably darted around the room. To be fair, this all felt too much for him as well. Everyone's eyes were trained on them as if they were circus bears about to perform tricks. Lance looked up from Katie and his eyes met with the Queen's, she smiled at him but that smile instead of making him feel relaxed and welcome, made him want to hide behind Boulder."You, Come forward!" the Queen ordered gesturing towards him.
Relationships: Allura & Coran (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Katie and Hunk, Katie and Lance and Shiro and Hunk and Keith, Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro and Allura - Relationship
Comments: 19
Kudos: 31
Collections: Plance Secret Santa 2019





	Be Careful What You Wish For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sue Mary](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sue+Mary).



> This is the secret Santa gift for Sue Mary. i hope you enjoy it and I am sorry for my tardiness, I really intended to give you sooner. Anyway I hope you enjoy the story and do let me know what you thought about and of course tell me your favorite part! Merry belated Christmas!

The five paladins unsurely walked around the barren land. The planet surely resembled a desert in its features,although the oxygen levels were sufficient enough for them to move around without their helmets but the mounds of dust everywhere made sure that paladins kept them firmly on. 

"Uh.. Princess are you sure that you entered the right coordinates?" Shiro spoke in his helmet, looking around. Forget a civilization there wasn't even a living plant in sight.

"I am just as confused as you are. Coran is checking again" Allura informed back from the castleship. Behind her, Coran rechecked the calculations again before replying, "According to my calculations, the coordinates are correct. This is where the civilization of Hurabi should be"

Allura conveyed Coran's message to Shiro who deeply sighed before approaching his team. 

"The coordinates are correct according to Coran. I think we should split up and try to cover more ground. Stay alert and try to notice even the smallest signs of life" He ordered and the rest of the team unwillingly nodded.

"Oh great! Just what I wanted to do after the last fight with the Galra. Split up on this deserted planet and try to find a non existent civilization" Hunk groaned as Lance reassuringly patted him on the back.

"I have to agree with Hunk on this. It would have been a lot more useful if we had spent this time training instead" Keith stated, crossing his arms.

"Both of you are right but this search is very important as well. Now everyone just be careful, Coran has warned about some tremors but hopefully they won't be very severe" Shiro instructed to which the five paladins nodded and started going on their separate ways.

Lance's brows furrowed as Pidge walked in the opposite direction to the others. She was going towards the caves instead of the plains. Lance had noticed that she had stayed quiet during the entire time they had been here and that was never a good sign. A quiet Pidge meant she was up to something so Lance considered it was better if he went with her.

He followed her, walking a few paces behind. It reminded him of the time he used to secretly follow her in the Garrison and the last time he did that look where they all ended. Instead of failing another stimulator test they were in the middle of nowhere trying to find a civilization that was last known to exist 10,000 years ago.

"What are you up to?" he finally inquired as they entered the cave. Pidge briefly glanced at him to acknowledge his existence before her eyes fell back to the floor of the cave.

"This is so weird " she started, observing the dark cave, "I know the coordinates are correct, I helped Coran in finding them. This is the right planet but how come such a vast civilization has been erased without any trace?" she wondered feeling the walls of the cave.

Lance quirked a brow, "You think they possibly hiding?"

"That's the only thing that makes sense." she commented. "But where?" she asked, walking further inside.

Thankfully the cave wasn't that dusty as outside, so Katie took off her helmet and tucked it underneath her arm. Her hair had started growing longer and made her helmet stuffy, she made a mental note to borrow something from Allura to tie them up.

Out of curiosity, Katie lightly tapped the ground and then cried out in excitement, "Lance, come here!" she shouted, beckoning him excitedly towards her as her voice echoed through the cave. 

Lance rushed towards her in a confused manner, Katie tapped her foot on the ground again in demonstration, "The ground is not solid. It's hollow. It feels like a false floor"

"So do you think they can be living underground?" Lance asked but before Katie could reply the ground started shaking.

In panic Katie dropped her helmet on the ground and grabbed onto Lance's arm in surprise. They both shared a worried look, the shaking didn't at all seem as mild as Shiro made it sound. To make things worse, cracks had started to appear on the floor.

The cave dangerously continued to shake, as rocks started falling from the ceiling and the cracks started widening in the ground. They were far from the entrance so Lance did the only thing that made sense to him at the moment.

He grabbed Katie in a protective embrace, covering her helmetless head with his upper body. Inturn, Katie held onto his armour tightly as well, her eyes were filled with fear and helplessness and Lance urged her to close her eyes while tightening his hold on her. 

She obediently did so and Lance closed his as well. In mere seconds, the ground beneath them finally gave in and they fell underground with the rest of the debris. Luckily they weren't met with a hard ground but instead crashed into a fast flowing river. The fall had pulled apart their earlier embrace but Lance still managed to keep a tight grip on Katie's hand.

The strong currents slapped against their bodies and even in such chaos, Lance tried his best to Katie's head above the surface. The currents were trying to pull them apart but both of them rigorously fought it.

"Lance!" she cried out before her head momentarily disappeared beneath the waves.  
"Please don't let go!" she shouted, coughing out the water. 

"Of course not!" he managed to shout back, Lance's throat was on fire, each muscle in his body ached and the arm with which he was still holding onto Pidge felt like it would come off any second. 

A part of him felt ready to give up but Pidge's shouts gave him the urge to keep fighting and he managed to prevail. Finally the river slowed down and started to become shallower. His heart leaped with joy noticing a bank not far off.

With the last of his strength, he swam towards the bank and hauled Pidge's exhausted body on the safe ground. He then fell beside her, taking deep breaths. 

Katie wasn't conscious anymore but the sound of her even breathing provided him much needed reassurance. Despite the terrible situation and the burning sensation that plagued each muscle of his body, Lance's mouth managed to upturn into a small smile and with the remainder of his strength, he squeezed Katie's hand where his fingers were still curled around hers.

They were still alive. Stranded but alive!

Lance's eyes started to grow heavy and before he knew it. Darkness clouded his vision and the exhausted paladin slipped into unconsciousness.

___________________

Lance finally awoke from his deep slumber, it took another minute for him to open his eyes as the recent events rushed through his mind but he instead of the cold hard ground, he was lying on a softer surface.

He finally opened his eyes to be met with blinding brightness so he immediately closed them again. His ears pricked, hearing footsteps rushing towards him.

"Are you alright?" came a concerned yet unfamiliar voice. Lance opened his eyes again to come face to face with a humanoid alien. The alien almost looked cartoonish in features, he had big brown eyes that occupied a great deal of his face, a small nose and elf like ears. He was lanky in stature and had dark brown hair which were tied back in a ponytail.

His heart started to wildly pound against his chest, the alien resembled the picture of the Hurabi people Allura had shown them earlier. Just as he was hit with one realization, another more important one crashed upon him.

"Pidge! Where is Pidge?!" he asked the alien in a threatening manner, gritting his teeth but to his surprise the alien merely looked confused for a second before smiling and pointing to a bed on the opposite side of the room where Pidge lay.

"She is fine. Just resting" the alien assured. "My name is Turab. Who are you?" he questioned curiously.

Lance slowly sat up on the bed, he rubbed his temples trying to ease the pounding headache. Then he turned towards Turab, he was certain if Keith was in his place. He would have his knife against Turab's neck and would demand to know where exactly they were.

But from what he had currently gathered, Turab although a stranger had acted more like a friend rather than a foe. Lance couldn't entirely trust him but he didn't have any choice other than to cooperate with him.

"My name is Lance" he introduced clearing his dry throat, "And her name is Pidge" He added gesturing to the sleeping girl.

Turab nodded enthusiastically, "How did you two end up here? Where are you from?"

"We are the paladins of Voltron. We were here to find the people of Hurabi and extend a hand of alliance towards them against the Galra but there was an earthquake and that's how Pidge and I ended up underground separated from our team members" Lance tried his best to explain as he worriedly glanced at Pidge again. 

Lance really hoped she would wake up soon, it was certainly unnerving to see such a silent and still Pidge, he much preferred her when she was zapping him with her Bayard. 

Turab caught his gaze and smiled knowingly, "When I found you two on the river bank, you were still holding onto each other. I should have understood from then that she was your beloved"

"My beloved?!" Lance choked, turning bright red but Turab didn't seem to care much for Lance's reaction as his mind had travelled to a world of his own by now.

"I know how you must feel.I have one as well" Turab declared dreamily. 

Lance grinned at the statement, "Oh really? What is she like?" He questioned, good naturely.

Turab sighed, clasping his hands together. "She is the most beautiful girl on the planet. She was our princess but now has finally succeeded her father and has now become Queen but the coronation has yet to take place"

Turab shook his head sadly, "Unfortunately the preparation of the coronations have disrupted because of the earthquake. She is so heartbroken, I wish there was a way I could cheer her up"

Before Lance could comfort him, a loud booming voice filled the room. "Don't listen to him. He is delusional" the tired voice stated.

Lance watched as another Hurabi entered the room, he was tall and wide reminding Lance of Hunk but instead of Hunk's usual easygoing smile a scowl was fixed on this man's face.

He walked towards the bed Lance was sitting on and angrily ordered, "Move!"

Lance quickly did so, now taking a seat beside Pidge on what he presumed was Turab's bed. Turab apologetically shook his head before introducing his friend, "This is Boulder. He doesn't really like my beloved"

Lance was a bit intimidated to ask Boulder why he disliked the queen but thankfully, Boulder was ready to answer without the question being asked.

"I still don't know what he sees in her. The queen is like her father and his father, She only cares about herself. 10,000 years ago our ancestors in order to protect themselves from the galra invasion had to move underground. We had no choice but to erase every trace of our magnificent civilization, destroy our beautiful buildings and homes on the surface to start a new life underground. The great leaders of that time had great power over nature, they destroyed the fertile lands and formed these caves so even if the galra came, they find no use for this planet and leave. That's how we remained hidden" 

"Over the last few centuries, we haven't had good leaders. They only cared for their own well being, the caves made by our ancestors have now weakened over time and they need to be constructed again so we can remain hidden but the Queen is more concerned about her coronation plans and is comprising our security in its exchange. Like the way, you have found us. The Galra can invade us as well" Boulder ended his speech crossing his shoulders.

Lance expectantly glanced at Turab who immediately jumped to his girlfriend's defense, "She has been queen only for a few weeks. I am sure after the coronation, she'll fix this problem"

"Sure, let's hope the Galra doesn't feel the need to check up on us in the meantime." Boulder grumbled.

Lance worriedly glanced at the two and decided to intervene before the only two people he knew here, would kill each other.

"Since she is your 'beloved' can't you just convince her about the whole cave issue and maybe getting us back to the surface. I am sure she will listen to you" Lance suggested.

"You have a good sense of humor" Boulder remarked, smirking. Turab on the other hand fell uncharacteristically quiet.

"The Queen doesn't even know about his existence, Turab used to be one of King's errand boys and worked in the palace. That's where the whole one sided love started" Boulder informed.

"Oh" Lance mumbled, feeling sorry for the man but he didn't really know what more to say. The room fell quiet, as Turab shrank to a corner of the room fumbling with different things while Boulder considered he had enough interaction and fell sound asleep, snoring loudly.

Lance finally got the opportunity to observe the room, it was somehow well lit, he was sure that if Pidge was awake she would have a scientific explanation ready for him. The room wasn't exactly small, it had enough space for two and seemed to be equally divided among Turab and Boulder.

Their beds were on opposite sides of the room, the wall on Turab's side consisted of a shelf whose lower side was filled with books and the upper side was lined with various bottles and containers with whom the Hurabi worked on something.

Turab seemed like a decent fellow so Lance really hoped that he wasn't planning to poison them with whatever he was making.

Pidge shifted in her sleep beside him and Lance's attention immediately jumped towards her again. She slight shivered so Lance adjusted the blanket better over her, he stroked her hair making a vain attempt to provide her comfort.

He prayed that Pidge would wake up soon, after all aside from Allura it was her who was the most excited to meet these people. She had rambled on and on about their achievements and how knowledgeable these people were. Lance would give anything to hear all those rambles again no matter how confusing and complicated they sounded.

"Please wake up. I need you" he whispered, grasping her hand tightly.

"Katie, you know I am a goofball. If you don't wake up soon I will probably end up doing something stupid and get both of us killed" He added with a small smile, a part of him desperately hoped that Katie would wake up to just roll her eyes at his stupid joke but still there wasn't any response.

"Don't worry. She will soon wake up" Turab assured, Lance looked up to see Turab standing beside him with a bowl in his hands. Turab gave him a small smile but there was an envious look in his eyes, Lance wasn't sure what part of his terrible fate made Turab envious of him.

Turab was probably still thinking that Pidge and him were a couple. Lance didn't know if it was the right time to tell him that he was residing in the friend zone as well.

"Make her sit up. She needs to drink this to feel better" Turab ordered bringing the bowl containing some kind of red liquid closer to Pidge.

Lance hesitantly glanced at the bowl and then at Turab. "Are you sure. It would be safe for her to drink this?" Lance asked shyly, he really didn't want to question the intentions of the person who had helped them so far but when it came to Pidge's safety he had to act more cautious.

Turab was indeed a very interesting person, he didn't at all feel offended by Lance's doubts and stated, "Of course it's safe. I am a professional healer and my master taught me many remedies that would work for all kinds of species. This is the same thing I gave to you because of which you are awake"

"Alright.." Lance mumbled, gently lifting her sleeping form into a sitting position. She stirred a little but still refused to open her eyes much to his frustration. Lance held her up in that position while Turab dropped few drops of remedy in her mouth.

They both anxiously watched waiting for the result to occur. A minute passed and then another, with each second the anticipation grew heavier, Lance silently prayed all the prayers he could possibly ever think of.

After what seemed like ages, Katie's head moved a little. Her brows knitted together, "What time is it?" she groaned, finally opening her eyes. The sight of those confused amber orbs to Lance was like sight of sun rising after a dark hopeless night.

His heart skipped in relief and a wide grin graced his face. Without a second thought, he jumped onto his disgruntled friend, engulfing her into protective bone crushing hug.

Katie squeaked in surprise, now fully awake and although she was still confused about her surroundings, she managed to gather enough senses to hug him back. 

Although their problems were far from being over, the pair found hope and reassurance in each other's arms.

_______________________

"I am sure the Queen will be really excited to see you. Your species greatly resemble the Alteans and we have always held a high regard for them!" Turab babbled excitedly. 

"Why is that?" Katie asked. Turab and Boulder looked at each other in surprise, it was the first time Katie had spoken directly to them.

To be fair, Katie had hardly spoken much ever since she woke up. Despite the long nap and the remedy, Katie still felt exhausted and dis-coordinated. To make matters worse she was also suffering from a terrible migraine, Turab had tried a few more remedies but nothing seemed to work. 

Katie not wanting to make her host and especially Lance further worried, lied about feeling better but she knew Lance was unconvinced by her statement. During the entire way, he kept glancing at her in a concerned manner.

"Well you see the Alteans really helped in the development of our planet. They provided our ancestors important resources and knowledge. My family was especially close to them" Boulder boasted.

"My Master had a great collection of Altean books as well!" Turab chimed, excitedly.

Turab and Boulder lead the walk to the palace now talking amongst themselves. Lance followed them, walking closely with Katie.  
She and Keith were the fastest and most agile members of the group but today she could barely walk, Lance noted.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned to which Katie shook her head, "Honestly speaking. I think the headache is getting worse. I really wished I hadn't lost my helmet"

"Do you think there is a connection?" Lance asked, subconsciously touching his own that was fitted over his head. Come to think of it, his own headache seemed to get significantly better after he had again worn his. 

Katie shrugged, "Who knows, maybe there is something in the underground atmosphere that is making me feel this way"

"Then you should be wearing mine!" he demanded, reaching to remove it from his head but Katie immediately stopped him.

"Don't be silly. So far it's nothing critical just a little side effect due to the unfamiliar atmosphere besides it's better that you keep it on. Even if I faint, you could easily carry me but if you fainted, how will I ever drag around?!" she stated.

Lance pouted, "Why do you always have to be so rational?"

"Because that is the only thing keeping all of us alive till now" she retorted. Lance couldn't even pretend to be annoyed, he was so grateful that Pidge had returned with all of her snarkiness included.

"Anyway.." Katie started, "What exactly is the plan?" she questioned critically.

Lance gulped, "We don't really have one"

"What?" Katie hissed.

"The thing is that Turab has this one sided crush on the Queen but he doesn't really know how to get her attention. The Queen on the other hand really admires the Alteans and since we look like them. So she might be interested to know more about us and during that time I was thinking to give a good word for him" Lance explained.

Katie looked at him in disbelief before clapping sarcastically, "I really have lost the words to describe you. Here we are stranded underground and you are focused on match making?!"

"Look at the bigger picture" Lance urged, "If that thing goes well. We will be in the Queen's favor and then we can ask for her help to reach the surface again. Boulder told me that there are secret passageways that lead to the surface but only the royal family knows their precise location."

"Honestly I can't think of a better plan so I am gonna roll with this but if we end up in some underground jail for meddling with the Queen love problems. I swear, I will keep reminding you that this was your fault till the end our days" Katie threatened.

Lance rolled his eyes, "You know that is very rich coming from someone because of who we are stuck here in the first place. I swear if we ever escape from here, I will never follow you on your crazy trips ever again!"

"We'll see about that"

_________________________

Lance and Katie patiently waited with Boulder in the hallway outside the throne room where the Queen currently resided. Turab initially had trouble with the guards who weren't allowing him to meet the Queen but one stern look from Boulder to the guards soon resolved the whole issue.

Being friends with the scary Head of guards really had its perks. Katie and Lance made a mental note to teach Hunk some scary tricks as well.

The court currently consisted of the Queen, her ladies in waiting and a handful of advisors. Everyone else was busy with the coronation's preparations. 

"Your Majesty! The great healer Turab has come to see you!" One of the guards announced. The Queen momentarily glanced up in disinterest while Turab held the opposite feeling as he bowed grandly to her.

"I hope this is important. You should know that I am not in the right mood to entertain any useless discussion" she warned.

"Your Majesty, I am aware of how precious your time is and how rightfully devastated you have been so I have brought certain people that might cheer you up!" Turab gleefully informed.

The Queen suddenly looked up in interest, "What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Today I went near the river bank to gather herbs and there I found two species that greatly resemble the Alteans but they call themselves 'humans'. Can I bring them in?" he asked. 

"Of course" The Queen agreed looking more attentive than before. Turab nodded excitedly as the door of the throne room was opened by the guards to let Katie, Lance and Boulder inside. 

Lance hoped they looked presentable enough to impress the Queen. He tried fixing his messed up hair, Boulder insisted that he take off his helmet due to formality purposes. 

"Your majesty" Boulder bowed and Lance and Katie clumsily followed his example. The Queen like her subjects, had wide green eyes and a small nose. A majestic headpiece rested on top of her face and she was dressed in shimmering robes of gold.

The Queen audibly gasped at the sight of the two foreigners, her bright green eyes blinked in disbelief. Even her advisers and maid of honor started excitedly murmuring among each other.

Lance worriedly glanced at Katie, whose eyes uncomfortably darted around the room. To be fair, this all felt too much for him as well. Everyone's eyes were trained on them as if they were circus bears about to perform tricks. Lance looked up from Katie and his eyes met with the Queen's, she smiled at him but that smile instead of making him feel relaxed and welcome, made him want to hide behind Boulder.

"You, Come forward!" the Queen ordered gesturing towards Lance. Immediately Katie grabbed onto his arm in a protective manner and Lance wondered if she was getting the same dreaded feeling as him but at the same time, he removed her hand and walked towards the Queen.

The Queen smirked in satisfaction getting up from the throne, she was tall and wiry in figure.  
"With every hardship does come some good news" she remarked to her ladies in waiting who giggled.

"So what is your name?" she questioned curiously, walking around him. Her big eyes keenly inspected him as if he was a specimen under a microscope.

"Uh...Lance" He mumbled hesitantly. The Queen smiled in amusement, "You have a handsome face" she praised but then frowned slightly, "Although your ears are a bit hideous"

"Your Majesty.." Lance started ignoring the mean statement about his ears, "We owe our lives to Turab. He alongside with Boulder was the one who saved us and then nursed us back to health. He is truly one of the greatest people I have ever met" 

Much to the relief of the four, The Queen finally turned her attention towards Turab. "Well if that's the case. You deserve a reward. Name your price?"

Turab blushed bright red, "Whatever your highness deems me worthy off"

"Come on" She urged, "Don't be modest. The entire kingdom owes to your noble actions for you have brought them their future King!" she declared, placing her hand on Lance's shoulder.

The entire room had fallen silent at the Queen sudden declaration. "What?" Lance croaked but the Queen conveniently ignored him and turned to one of her advisers.

"Delay the preparations of the coronation. I want to get married first so that me and my husband can be coronated together as the future rulers" she informed, winking at Lance who had turned pale as the moon.

Turab looked like he was about to faint and frankly speaking, Katie wasn't feeling any better. The whole felt like it was suffocating her, a wave of nausea hit her and she grabbed onto Boulder for support. She was ready to go prison then to deal with this problem.

Lance's sentiments on the matter weren't too different and he started planning potential ways to get himself into prison. "Your Majesty with all due respect. I can't marry you" he politely rejected, removing her hand from his shoulder.

The whole room gasped in shock reminding Pidge of the cheesy soap operas her mother used to watch. "Why not!" the Queen demanded furiously, her hands balling into fists.

Lance fearfully stepped backwards as a thousand reasons entered his mind. For starters he had just met her 5 minutes ago, she was his friend's longtime crush,he was only seventeen for Quiznak's sake and there was a good chance that his mom would kill him but he doubted any of these reasons could convince her.

"That's right! You can't marry him!!" Katie shouted, mustering all her strength. All eyes jumped from Lance towards her, even Boulder stepped back from her in surprise.

"And who are you to object?" The Queen questioned angrily but Katie didn't seemed fazed instead she squared up to her full height and announced, "My name is Katie Holt and I am his..uh..betrothed!"  
.  
The crowd gasped once again as the Queen shrieked, "Betrothed?!"

"Yes betrothed!" Katie repeated marching towards them. "His family..uh promised him to my family for me when.. all the sacred stars were in position. So the agreement can't be broken" she stated.

"Stars?" the Queen muttered confused.

"Yes the stars!" Lance hurriedly agreed, "If we break this engagement the...the Gods will get angry and send trouble to this land!"

"Now we don't want that" Katie reminded and Lance pitifully shook his head, "This is very unfortunate but after all who can change the stars?"

"Tragic" Katie agreed, grabbing Lance's wrist and trying to make a discreet move towards the exit. 

"Wait!" The Queen ordered getting over her initial shock. She then turned towards the advisers for help on the matter. 

"Your Majesty, if what they are saying is true. Then you shouldn't get yourself involved in this marriage, we have already suffered a terrible earthquake and can't afford more damage" the Head adviser stated.

The Queen momentarily fell silent and Katie thought her ridiculous act had actually worked but then the Queen snapped at her advisers, "I don't care about this. Before the ceremony, we will get all the priests to bless our marriage to ward away any hardship. You just start preparing for the ceremony. I want everything ready by tomorrow!!"

"That's not happening!" Katie objected, placing herself between the Queen and Lance. The Queen glared daggers at her but Katie barely moved an inch and simply glared back at her with equal ferocity. 

"Katie.." Lance worriedly whispered over shoulder, it seemed like instead of prison Katie was straight planning her execution. 

Katie ignored his warning, she intended to firmly stand her ground but an obstacle had come her way, her headache had now further intensified and a wild ringing sound rang in her ears as her vision started to blur. Her knees buckle and the last thing she hears is Lance calling out her name before everything goes black.

_____________________

The next time Katie opens her eyes, she finds herself back in Turab and Boulders room.  
"She is awake!" Turab announces, coming towards her. Even Boulder smiled at her in relief.

"How are you feeling now?" Turab questions but before Katie could answer, her eyes fall on Lance's helmet that was sitting beside her on the bed. Her heart immediately races in panic, "Where is Lance? What happened?!"

Boulder and Turab shared a concerned look before turning back to Katie, "After you fainted, the Queen wanted to arrest you but Lance stepped in and said that he will stay in the palace willingly if the Queen lets us take you. He also placed his helmet on your head which was a good thing because your breathing had become really shallow but it became more stable after you wore it" Turab explained.

"This can't be happening! We have to stop this!" she cried out, getting up from the bed. 

"It's no use. We can't get out anymore. The Queen has heavily stationed guards outside our house and in the streets" Boulder explained.

"But we will think of something. The wedding isn't until tomorrow and I am sure we can pass through the guards. Some of them are our good friends" Turab tried to assure. 

"Let me see what I can do" Boulder mumbled determinedly, heading out the door.

"Here drink this before you put your helmet back on" Turab said, handing her another bowl of one of his remedies. Katie gratefully accepted it, even in the midst of chaos she couldn't help but feel sorry for the man, he was truly one of the most helpful and kindest people or alien she had ever met and now she understood why Lance had been so insistent to help him. It really tragic that he had fallen in this one sided love, going through the same thing Katie knew how painful it can often be and Turab truly deserved better.

"How are you feeling about..this whole wedding thing?" Katie cautiously questioned.

Turab smiled painfully staring at the ground, "I won't lie. It really hurts. She really means a lot to me but now it's a high time I give up on her. I used to glorify my undying love and blind devotion for her and never expected anything in return but today when I saw the way you and Lance were fighting for each other. How you put each other first, not caring for your own safety. I decided that even if I did get the Queen, there is a good chance she would never love me the way I love her and after seeing you two, I want to find someone who would love and cherish me the way I love them" Turab shared wiping a few stray tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes. 

"I am sure you will when the right time comes" Katie replied, patting his shoulder in comfort. Turab nodded in a more cheerful manner,  
"In the meantime I have to reunite you two again. You and Lance are the sweetest couple I have ever met and I will do anything to stop this wedding!"

Katie didn't know how she would ever explain to Turab that the engagement story was fake but at the moment she was grateful for the support of her two Hurabi friends.

________________________

"Oh good you are here!" The Queen chirped excitedly, Lance rolled his eyes turning away from her. She had him locked in one of the highest rooms of the palace with bars on the windows and 10 guards stationed outside. Where else was she expecting him to be?

"I am sorry, I had to leave you just after we got engaged but I was looking over our wedding plans for tomorrow. I want everything to be perfect!" she declared, taking a seat beside him.

"I am already the envy of every girl in the kingdom but when they see my handsome prince tomorrow, I am sure a lot of people will combust with jealousy. We will be the handsomest couple ever to have ruled!" she gleefully informed.

"Also the unhappiest" Lance miserably added, here he was worried sick about Katie, he wondered if she had woken up or not and the Queen couldn't stop talking about the forced wedding.

He finally turned towards the Queen, "Why do you want to marry someone who doesn't love you?" he questioned, hoping to knock some sense into her.

"You will eventually learn to do so" she tried to reason and reached out to touch his cheek but Lance immediately stood up and walked away from her.

"No I won't" he clarified shaking his head, "I only love Katie and continue to only love her even if I have forcibly marry you. Try to think clearly, why do you want someone who clearly belongs to someone else?!"

The Queen fell silent for a moment, "So you will always only love her?" she asked quietly. A ray of hope entered Lance's heart, maybe the Queen was finally reconsidering the decision of this hasty marriage.

"Fine" she sighed in a defeated manner, "I guess I have no choice.." she whispered, taking another deep breath and small smile started dancing on Lance's face.

"I have no choice but to get rid of her!" she decided, her green eyes darkening dangerously and the color drained from Lance's face. 

"What do you mean?" he questioned. The Queen gave Lance a sinister smile as she got up and walked towards him, "It's obvious that you won't fully commit to our marriage till she is around so I have to remove her from your life"

"Do you have any idea why she fainted today?" The Queen asked. "It's because of the lower concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere here. It took centuries for our ancestors to get used to it and unfortunately many died while trying. If I wanted, with a flick of a finger I can send your beloved Katie to a more underground dungeon especially designed for prisoners to painfully suffocate to death"

"The only reason you haven't fainted like her is because of this!" she stated pointing towards the green fire burning in the fireplace. "When this rare plant is burned, it produces oxygen and then maintains the desired concentration of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere. This plant is very rare to find but I will gladly burn thousand of these for you, my love."

"Since I deeply care for you and your feelings, I give you a choice. Either marry me tomorrow without another argument or send Katie to her early and painful death" 

Lance carefully inspected her stoic expression, she didn't seem to be at all hesitant to carry out her warning. Lance was sure that he had never despised as anyone as he despised the Queen at the moment but this was no time for hate or anger. After all it was Katie's life that hung at its edge.

"Fine I will marry you" He mumbled in defeat, "But I have my condition. I will willingly marry you but I don't want Katie to be here anymore. You have to first safely return her to the surface and only when it's done. The marriage ceremony will start" he stated. 

The Queen nodded in agreement quite unaware of the allies that waited Katie on the surface.  
"That can be gladly arranged. Anything else?" she questioned, feeling more generous than before.

Lance nodded, "I want to meet her for the last time"

__________________________

"Stay outside" Lance ordered to the hoard of guards that had followed him from the castle, it had taken some time but he managed to convince the Queen from not coming.

Seeing the sight of Turab and Boulder's small home slightly eased his pained heart. Boulder was standing outside, his big eyes further widened in surprise at his sudden arrival but he spared no time in letting Lance inside.

"Katie!" he smiled in relief, seeing her awake. She had been working on what looked like a map with Turab guiding her but as soon she heard the familiar voice a chill ran down her spine and Katie dropped everything within a second, jumping into the surprised man's arms. 

"How come you are here?" she whispered in his ears as she tightly clung onto his neck while Lance wrapped his arms protectively around her waist.

"That's an odd question to ask" he teased as the pair finally let go of each other. 

"Has she?" Katie asked hopefully but Lance shook his head, choosing not to tell her about the Queen's earlier threat. 

"But in a way I have some good news. She has agreed to send you back to the surface. Boulder will accompany you " He informed. 

Katie immediately frowned, "You are crazy if you think that I am ever leaving this place without you"

"Katie, this is our only chance" Lance reminded, his voice falling into a whisper. "Go up and find Shiro, Keith and Hunk. Then come back and please rescue me, I don't want to marry her."

"I thought it was your dream to marry an alien princess?" she teased despite the nerve wrecking situation. 

Lance chuckled,"I was an idiot . I later realized that I would be much happier with someone from earth" he confessed, making Katie turn bright red.

The moment was interrupted by a loud bang on the closed door, making the pair jump.  
"It's time to go!" one of the guards shouted to which Lance impatiently shouted back that he was coming.

"One last thing. If anyway whatever plan you have constructed doesn't work. I just want to tell you that none of this is your fault, It was just an unfortunate happening. Please never feel guilty about it" Lance tried to assure even though it felt like his death warrant had been signed and now his brain was preparing him for his end.

Katie stayed silent for a second, she had anticipated a better moment for this but it was now or never so she reached over and kissed his cheek. Lance blinked in surprise as Katie cupped his cheeks, "Don't worry. I will do whatever it takes to stop this wedding." Katie stated determinedly.

__________________________

The next day arrived and the remaining team, Allura and Coran had now started to expect the worse. They often shared concerned glances unable to voice what was haunting their minds. After all they had been searching for the whole day but it felt like their teammates like the civilization had disappeared without any trace.

Hunk passed by the caves where he had last seen his friends go. The entrance was now sealed by the rocks due to the earthquake and he didn't even want to imagine a possibility that his dear friends, the closest family he had in space might have been mercilessly crushed.

This was all his fault, he should have followed them. Stopped them even though there is a good chance they might have not listened, they were both idiots. Pidge always blinded and impulsive in search for knowledge and Lance loyally following her every time.

Exhausted, Hunk sat on the ground, closing his tired eyes. They were idiots but also Hunk's best friends and he would give anything to see them once again.

"Hunk!" a distant voice called out to him.

Hunk shook his head, trying to hold back his tears. He had become so grief stricken that now he was hearing Pidge's voice in his head. He was sure Lance's voice would soon follow.

"Hunk!" the voice seemed clearer and louder now, he was sure he was going insane due to grief. Here he was stranded in space, far from his family and now lost his friends as well.  
Hunk had never felt more helpless before.

His ears pricked hearing the sound of footsteps coming near him. He was just about to open his eyes in curiosity when suddenly something smacked him on the back of his head.

"Pidge?!" he shouted in surprise, he couldn't believe this. Pidge removed her helmet, panting in exhaustion. Her face was littered with small cuts and bruises, her hair was wild like a bird's nest but there she was standing in front of him, quite alive and a little angry. 

"I have been calling your name. Why didn't you listen!" she demanded and that was when Hunk was sure that it was definitely Pidge so he enveloped her in a bone crushing hug.

"Guys! I found Pidge!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Keith and Shiro were the first ones to hear and started running towards them followed Allura and Coran.

"But wait.." he paused, placing Pidge back on the ground. Only now he noticed that the helmet Pidge was wearing didn't belong to her. The team had now gathered as well but instead of rejoicing in relief, a new question had entered in their mind. 

They all looked at Pidge expectantly and Hunk finally voiced what they all wanted to ask, "Where is Lance?"

_______________________

"Have you met a more miserable groom?" Lance questioned, as he inspected himself in the mirror. A shimmering cloak of gold that sparkled brighter than the stars was draped over his paladin armor and a heavy crown made of a metal similar to silver rested on top of his head. According to one of the advisers, it was a crown worn by all consorts for the ceremony but Lance hardly felt flattered.

"I have seen worse" Boulder shrugged unimpressed, crossing his hands against his chest. Despite his unhelpful comments, Lance was grateful to have one familiar face present at the most horrendous day of life. 

Turab hadn't come due to obvious reasons but Lance's respect for Turab had further increased. There was no way Lance could be that understanding to a man who was about to marry the woman he loved, no matter the situation.

There was a sharp knock on the door and a servant briefly entered the room, he bowed uncertainly to Lance perhaps still not feeling accustomed to the new foreign ruler.

"The Queen is almost ready. The ceremony will soon commence" he informed before bowing again and leaving the room.

Lance gulped, glancing once again in the mirror. Perhaps if he could tear his expensive ancient cape, the wedding would get a bit more delayed. This was not how he imagined this day to be like, he thought he would nearly be tripping on his feet in excitement to reach the aisle and get married as soon as possible but life had great ways to quiznak all your hopes and dreams.

Boulder must have read this thoughts because he assured, "You won't have to marry her. If worst comes to worst. I can always start a riot in the ceremony. There is this one guard who has been pissing me off for a week now and today is the perfect opportunity to get back at him. One arrow two shots" Boulder grinned.

Lance shook his head in disbelief, "I will never understand how polar opposites like you and Turab ended up being friends"

One was a healer and the other was a guard who loved scaring and beating people up.

"Well technically we are cousins. I know the family resemblance isn't strong but we are related and that's how we have managed to tolerate each other all these years. I don't really do friendships" Boulder explained.

"What about me? Why are you helping me then?" Lance questioned.

"You can say I am paying you back for knocking some sense into Turab. Gods know that I couldn't have kept up with that any longer" Boulder stated.

"Also.." he added lowering his voice into a whisper, "I don't think I could ever repay you for the look on the Queen's face when you rejected her in front of everyone. No one had ever said no to her before and her face was simply priceless. You fulfilled my life long desire and that's why I have taken a liking to you and your betrothed"

A smile automatically appeared on Lance's face at the mention of Katie as Boulder continued,  
"I never thought someone as small as her could be so feisty. It is impressive, on how she held her own against the Queen and even during the long complicated path in going back to the surface, she refused to stop and take a break until I grew tired myself. She is really resilient and determined" Boulder noted.

Lance beamed proudly, "That's Katie alright. Stubborn and determined to her last bone"

There was another sharp knock on the door, the servant which had earlier come entered again accompanied by three nobles.

"Your Highness" They bowed in unison and the eldest of the nobles stepped forward, "It's time" he declared.

Lance glanced hesitantly at Boulder who motioned him to move and so he obeyed. The eldest noble walked forward, Lance in the middle and the other two nobles behind him. 

"Is everything alright?" one of the nobles in the back inquired as Lance walked with the slowest humanly pace possible.

No matter how long he had dragged the walk from the castle to the temple where the marriage ceremony was about to be held,they eventually reached and Lance was surprised to find the Queen already waiting for him. Her face lit up at the sight of him and it seemed like a sweet moment if you conveniently try to forget the fact he was being forced to marry her. 

Even though the wedding had been put together in the shortest time possible, the place was filled with guests. All of them trying to catch a glimpse of the future consort of the Queen.

He caught the sight of Boulder who was standing in the front row of the crowd. Boulder caught his gaze and then gestured Lance to look at the left side of the decorated altar where he was to be wed. There sitting in the place of guest of honor was Turab, the poor man looked like he was ready to die as much as Lance. Lance wouldn't be surprised if the Queen might have threatened the poor man into coming.

"You look so handsome" The Queen remarked as he finally reached her. Lance didn't reply and instead turned to the priest who started blessing them before the ceremony.

After he was done, another priest replaced him and much to Lance's relief there was a whole line consisting of at least 30 priest.

"Please come soon" Lance silently prayed to himself. As a kid, he always enjoyed the idea of rescuing the damsel in distress but never thought he would be the damsel himself.

His anxiety increased when only three priests were left in the line but just then the ground started to rumble. It rumbled for a few seconds before stopping, the cheering crowd suddenly fell silent and even the priest paused.

The Queen shared a cautious look with her head adviser before beckoning the priest to continue. The priest had barely spoken another word when the ground started to rumble even louder. This time the ceiling also shook with tremendous force.

The advisers now shared frightful looks, the Gods must not be happy with this union but who could possibly convince the Queen who was still firmly standing her ground.

"STOP THE WEDDING!" a voice bellowed suddenly. Everyone gasped in shock.The priest trembled, "It's one of the Gods!"

The 'God' sounded more like Coran imitating a gruff voice, Lance had to bite his laugh.

"STOP THE WEDDING!!" two more voices belonging to Keith and Hunk chorused together.

Panicked shouts started erupting from the confused crowd as the ground continued to shake coupled with the terrifying voices of the God.

"It's the curse!" Boulder shouted, "Our land is going to be destroyed because the Gods are unhappy with the marriage!"

Boulders statement was fuel to the already lit fire.The advisers as well as the priests immediately nodded now fearing for their lives as the elaborate decorations started to fall.

"Your Majesty the wedding can't take place. The Gods are showing their fury!" The Head priest tried to reason with her.

"Silence!" the Queen demanded. "I don't care. The wedding will take place. Marry us now!" she ordered stubbornly.

Unfortunately this statement didn't go well with the crowd, "She doesn't care about us! What kind of Queen are you" someone shouted followed by more angry comments, due to fear the people became more agitated with every second.

Lance fearfully looked around him, he had heard about many revolutions in history where the monarchy was overthrown and then brutally murdered by the common people who had been long deprived of their rights. He really wished he wasn't going to be another textbook example of that, after all the sparkly cloak wasn't exactly the ideal camouflage.

"What is happening?! Guards stop them!" The Queen shrieked as a riot started to break without Boulder punching anyone. The common Hurabis started to jump over the fence that separated them from the royals and marched towards them as most of the guards abandoned their positions and started running to save their own skin. Meanwhile Coran, Keith and Hunk's voices continued to shout in the background making the moment more haunting.

The royal wedding had turned into a revolution ground as the few loyal guards tried to protect the Queen and her family members. The nobles and the priest had sneakily slipped away in the crowd, leaving Lance all alone. He tried to run as well but was constantly being bumped and pushed by the crowd and the stupid long cloak wasn't helping.

"There he is!" a familiar voice called out and Lance's heart jumped in relief. Turab and Boulder made their way towards him from the opposite side of the crazy crowd.

"Ditch the cloak and let's go!" Boulder demanded, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him against the crowd. Turab followed, throwing an ordinary worn out cloak over Lance's head, to hide his face.

Boulder using his strength, easily pushed away the people to make way in the crowd. The vibrations had significantly lessened but nobody cared at this point and were still busy running to save themselves.

Finally they managed to escape the crowded temple and were now running on an unfamiliar path. "Where are we going?" Lance questioned, panting heavily. He really wished he had been more updated about the plan.

"Back to the surface of course!" Turab replied as they turned into a narrow alley at the end of the alley, there stood a large wooden door. There was a big lock on the door but thankfully Boulder still carried the key with him.

He stepped forward and opened the door to reveal a poorly lit hallway that eventually led to hastily made staircase. The trio stepped inside with Turab closing the door behind them. Lance was about to start climbing the stairs but paused hearing multiple footsteps coming down the stairs.

p> ______________________

"Katie! Be careful. The stairs are slippery!" Shiro's distant cry could be heard but the footsteps didn't cease to become slower.

Instead Katie beckoned her friends to move faster. Coran alongside Hunk and an initially unwilling Keith had taken their performance too seriously and instead of only scaring the Queen they unintentionally, had started a minor revolt.

"Please be ok" she whispered, praying for the underground trio's safety.

______________________

The owner of footsteps was none other than Katie, followed by Shiro and Allura. Even in the dim light, Katie immediately recognized the three figures.

"You guys made it!" She exclaimed in relief, skipping over the last three steps much to Shiro's horror. Lance grinned, immediately pulling her in a tight embrace. Although he had complete faith on Katie, for a second his brain had completely fooled him into thinking he would end up married or dead.

"See I told you we will get his highness back to you in one piece and most importantly unmarried" Boulder teased.

"Thank you so much" Katie said pulling away from Lance and surprising Boulder with an enthusiastic hug. Boulder turned bright red at the sudden affection causing the others to laugh at his expense.

"Is she Altean?" Turab whispered to Lance, noticing Allura. Lance nodded, "Not just any. She is Princess Allura. Daughter of King Alfor"

"Your highness!" The two Hurabis greeted in unison, bowing grandly to her and Allura laughed nervously at the sudden attention.

After few minutes of fanboying over the rare sight of the Altean Princess, Boulder cleared his throat, reminding that they should probably leave now or else the rest of the Kingdom might start to get suspicious.

Shiro and Allura stepped aside giving Pidge and Lance a moment to say goodbye to their friends.

"We could never have survived without you. I can never thank you enough for your help but I do hope you soon find someone who will give you the love you deserve" Katie whispered to Turab, hugging him goodbye.

Turab sighed pulling away, "I am so glad that I had the opportunity to meet you two. I really wish I could attend your wedding when the time comes."

Katie laughed nervously, perhaps it was a good time to tell him the truth. "We aren't actually engaged" she clarified. Turab looked shocked for a second but then smiled, "Well you love him, right?"

Katie momentarily glanced at Lance who was trying to coax Boulder into giving him a hug. "Come on! I made you my only family in the wedding!"

Katie giggled at the statement before turning back to Turab and nodding enthusiastically. Turab's smile grew wider, "Well then the day would eventually come"

After reluctantly saying last words of farewell, the four friends parted ways. Turab and Boulder back to their own life while Katie and Lance followed Shiro and Allura back to the surface.

During the journey upwards, Lance attentively listened as Katie explained the plan to him. 

"We had to construct a device that would produce vibrations that wouldn't cost on any damage because of course we didn't want anyone to get hurt and for the voices.." Katie rambled on, wildly gesturing with her hands as usual.

Lance shyly reached out and enclosed her smaller hand into his. Katie looked at him in surprise but soon a small smile crept on her face as she further entwined her fingers into his.

Who knew it would take one of them to almost be forcibly married for them to confess their true feelings for each other but no matter how nerve wrecking the adventure had been, Lance was glad that it happened.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone who read this had a good time. Let me know your thoughts and please share your favorite part from the story.


End file.
